The Next Generation: Marauders3
by AZScorpions24
Summary: So Harry and Co. have graduated from Hogwarts. Will their kids become Marauders too? Of course! All they need is a little help from their parents. Part 3 of my Secrets of Hogwarts trilogy.
1. Prologue

Well, here it is. The not-waited-for-at-all sequel to my semi-classic stories, Secrets of Hogwarts and Secrets of Hogwarts 2: The Marauders Return. I've decided to forgo the Secrets of Hogwarts bit when titling this one. Enjoy!

**The Next Generation: Marauders ^3**

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

            Twenty-year-old Harry Potter walked slowly up the path to Hogwarts. It had been three years since he graduated, and while various things had kept him away for a while, something had finally happened that required him to return.

            "Let's see if I remember," he thought to himself as he avoided the front doors and instead walked to a slightly secluded area below the greenhouses. Kneeling down beside the wall, he pulled out his wand. A quick "_Lumos Rutilus_", and a red light shone from the tip of his wand. Harry played the light over the lower half of the wall until it revealed a hidden picture on one of the stones: the Gryffindor lion. Harry tapped the stone and stepped back as the lion roared softly.  The stone grew until it was a few inches taller than Harry, then split in two. Harry walked confidently through the gap and soon found himself just outside Headmaster Dumbledore's office.

            "Come in, Harry" Dumbledore said before Harry even knocked. Harry could only shake his head in surprise. In the nine years he had known Albus Dumbledore, the man had never seemed to lose his powers in any way. Despite his appearance, he didn't even seem to age.

            Harry pushed open the door and stepped into Dumbledore's office.  The pictures of past headmasters and headmistresses all smiled at him, as did Dumbledore. Harry smiled as he walked up to Dumbledore's desk and shook his hand.

            "Harry! It's so good to see you…and I see you haven't forgotten any of the secret passages in this castle." His eyes, slightly faded from age, still managed a passable twinkle as Harry smiled.

            "Professor, I have a favor to ask you…" Harry's voice faltered slightly, but Dumbledore knew exactly what he wanted to ask.

            "I assume this has something to do with young Richard? I remember seeing him in the hospital…he has your eyes." Harry smiled.

            "Yes sir, I know. Besides the fact that I'd like his name to be down for Hogwarts when he's old enough, there's the…other thing. You know, the thing my father set up for me?" Dumbledore became silent for a few seconds.

            "Of course his name is down…I made sure to do it as soon as he was born.  And as much as your second idea intrigues me, Harry, I am not entirely sure that it would be proper." Harry's face immediately fell.

            "However," and at this Harry looked up hopefully, "It would be rather amusing to see another generation of Marauders at Hogwarts. Of course I must never let on that I know. I also assume that he will become an Animagus, correct?"

            "Well sir, it's his choice…I'll certainly encourage it, considering the positive side effects it's had for me, Ron, and Hermione." Harry considered for a second. "Speaking of which, I've got to go get them! I'm going to need help setting these charms in place." A thought seemed to occur to him. "Professor? How did my parents know I would be a Gryffindor, and therefore know which bedpost to put the Marauder crest on?"

            It was the only time Harry ever saw Professor Dumbledore look confused. Ever.

            "Believe it or not, Harry, I don't know. It may be that your parents simply assumed that the son of two Gryffindors would be a Gryffindor. That's the only viable solution I can think of. If it was just a guess, it was an extremely lucky one."  Harry nodded.

            "Well, I guess we'll just have to assume the same, since all four of us are Gryffindors.  Professor, I can't thank you enough!" Harry shook Dumbledore's hand happily. "Shall we all meet here, say tomorrow?"

            Dumbledore nodded. "Tomorrow will do fine, Harry." He smiled as Harry walked out, turning to Fawkes with a slightly ashamed expression on his face.

            "Another generation of prank-pulling, troublemaking Marauders…Tell me, old friend, why do I keep allowing this kind of thing at Hogwarts?" Fawkes seemed more preoccupied with not falling off his perch than answering the question. Dumbledore swiveled around slowly in his seat, laughing softly to himself.

            "Still, it will be fun to watch…I can only imagine who will be pranked first."

            He found out eleven years later…

(A/N: Well, that's the beginning. It took me like three weeks to write too. I was preoccupied with a lot of other stuff. Anyway, read and review!)


	2. Finding the Gift

The usual disclaimer applies. I am not J.K. Rowling, and own nothing in these stories except the stuff you don't recognize as loyal readers of the series. Besides, if I were Rowling, I'd be busy writing my books and not fan fiction.

The Next Generation: Marauders^3 

**Chapter 2: Finding the Gift**

            Richard Potter couldn't sleep.

            It wasn't the fact that the bed he was in was new and unfamiliar. It wasn't the fact that he was away from home by himself for the first time. And even though it was annoying, it wasn't the fact that two of his new roommates, Henry Longbottom and John Fortis, snored. And loudly.

            No, Richard Potter was floating on a wave of disbelief. He simply couldn't believe yet that he was actually a student at Hogwarts, and a Gryffindor like the rest of his family.  Of course, considering it was only his first night at Hogwarts, he had plenty of time to become a believer.

            Richard sighed and got up. For a second, the candlelight illuminated his face in the mirror. Ever since he was born, he had been carrying on the Potter tradition of the sons looking like their fathers. Besides having the same basic facial shape, Richard also had his father's green eyes and glasses.  As far as Richard could tell, this had no discernible advantage, save keeping bullies away from him. Everyone in the wizarding world knew the stories of how Harry Potter had beaten Lord Voldemort on six separate occasions, the final one being their showdown at Hogwarts.  There wasn't a boy alive who'd mess with the son of The Boy Who Lived…And Also Destroyed The Most Feared Wizard Of The Age.

(A/N: I'm terribly sorry for giving Harry a nickname longer than Voldemort's, everyone. It just kind of slipped out.)

            His hair, however, was a different story. He may have been Harry Potter's son, but he was also Ginny Weasley's son.  Down on some deep, deeeeeeeep genetic level, there's an amino acid or something that declares that anyone descended from the Weasleys must have hair that is some shade of red.  To this effect, Richard had very messy dark red hair. The messiness he could thank his father for.

            Richard sighed again, and heavier. He sat by the window, looking out onto the grounds. Mentally, he was replaying the moment the Sorting Hat, perched on his head, opened its mouth and said, "_GRYFFINDOR_!" He had been so sure that the Hat was wrong that he almost started arguing out loud. He'd never been extraordinarily brave…what good would he be in the bravest House at Hogwarts?

            "At least I've got Eddie with me" he thought, looking over at his cousin and best friend, Eddie Weasley.  Being the son of Hermione Granger, Eddie was showing signs of being even more clever and studious than his mother.  Everyone that knew Eddie assumed he'd be the first Ravenclaw the family ever had.  Richard supposed it was the Weasley factor that determined Eddie's House placement, just like it had determined his own hair color. The entire lot of Weasleys as far back as anyone could remember were Gryffindors, so it seemed natural that Eddie was keeping the streak alive. He certainly looked the part. He had thick red hair and bright blue eyes, and more freckles than any one kid needed.

            "Well" Richard said to no one in particular, "since classes start tomorrow, I guess I should try and get some sleep."  He got back in bed and grabbed the candle, lifting it to his mouth to blow it out. At that second, his eyes happened to focus past the candle, on a carving on one of the bedposts.

            Curious, Richard put the candle down and inspected the bedpost. There was a small carving in the wood. It looked awfully similar to the Hogwarts crest, except there were seven sections. Carved within the separate sections were a griffin, a manticore, an owl, a stag, a large black dog, a wolf, and a tigress.  Richard studied the crest carefully, having no idea what it meant at all.

            Suddenly, a small piece of parchment appeared before him. Richard picked it up. A magically animated stick figure appeared on it, and a picture of the bedpost. The figure drew a wand and touched it to the crest on the bedpost, against the figure of the griffin. A voice bubble appeared, with the word "Beaky" in it.

            Richard decided to take the chance. He put down the parchment and reached back for his wand. (9½ inches long, cedar and dragon heartstring)  Reaching forward, he touched the tip of it to the griffin carving and said "Beaky".

            There was a small flash, and then a figure appeared before Richard that he knew only too well. The man smiled down at him, adjusting his glasses slightly.

            "Richard! It's so good to see you, son. I'm certainly glad I guessed right on which House you'd be in. I bet you'd have never discovered this gift of mine if you'd been in any other House."

            Richard was, rather understandably, confused.  "Dad, what are you doing here? Or not doing here, as the case may be…this is a spell, isn't it?"

            Harry nodded. "A charm to be exact, son. Your grandmother Lily, 'Firefur' as we call her now, thought it up. She's probably the best Charms student this school ever had or will have."  He turned and smiled at the tigress carving.  Richard looked at the crest in wonder.

            "You mean I could see Grandma Lily too, even though she's dead?"  Harry smiled.

            "You'd be surprised at who that crest will let you see, Richard…try this. Wave your wand in a circle over the crest, and repeat after me: 'Moony, Firefur, Padfoot, Prongs, Lionheart, Feathers'."

            Richard raised his wand and waved in a circle, repeating the nicknames as he was told.  There were six small flashes, and then…

(A/N: I'm sure anyone that's read my previous two stories will know what happens when you do what Richard just did. Don't tell anyone else, ok?  Oh, and in case anyone's wondering where I got the new names in this story…I was just continuing the chain of English kings. JK Rowling has used Arthur, William, Charles, Alfred, George, and James already, so I added Richard, Edward, John, and Henry.  And you know, I really seem to remember something about a King Harold in English history, but my memory's fuzzy. Well, anyway, read and review!)


	3. A Few Things are Explained

            You like me! 5 of you really like me! It's pretty good I guess…although I've noticed each successive sequel gets less reviews. I'm not too worried about it though. I just like getting my flashes of creativity put somewhere where other people can read them.

The Next Generation: Marauders^3 

**Chapter 3: A Few Things are Explained**

            Richard blinked as the flashes died away. There were six new apparitions floating over his bed. Two of them he could identify immediately: his uncle Ron and aunt Hermione. The other four were a mystery. They seemed to be older than his father, although one looked like him. The realization came slowly.

            "You must be my grandfather James!" he exclaimed. James smiled.

            "Call me Prongs. Everyone else here does." All the apparitions nodded, though Richard was confused.

            "'Prongs'?"

            Harry smiled. "Watch, son." The apparitions floated backwards, keeping clear of each other. Then, almost before Richard could blink, six animals and one of the men he didn't know surrounded him.  He had to rub his eyes a few times before he was sure he wasn't hallucinating.

            "I don't get it…what is this?"

            "They're Animagi!" a new voice spoke up, making everyone jump. Eddie Weasley had woken up in the bed next to Richard, who turned to him in mild shock.

            "You can see them too?"  At this, the manticore and owl returned to their human forms.

            "That's right, Richard" Hermione explained.  "This charm only works for us and our descendants. You and Eddie are the only ones in the school who can see us…except for Professor Dumbledore, of course.  We couldn't do this without his permission."  Richard nodded slowly, feeling like he was trying to swallow an apple whole.

            "So, if I may ask, who are these other people?" said Eddie.

            All the animals returned to their human forms, and Harry and Ron made the introductions, including the explanation of Remus being a werewolf.  There was a small silence until Harry clapped his hands.

            "Well then! Let's go, boys!"  Richard and Eddie looked at each other.  "Where?"

            "To play pranks, of course" Sirius chimed in.  "That's the whole reason we're here. You two are going to learn EVERY hidden passage, room, and stash of tricks in this castle! That's the Marauders legacy to you."

            "The...Marauders? Who are they?"  The elder Marauder apparitions looked at the younger ones with none too encouraging looks on their faces.  Harry, perhaps sensing their anger, spoke up quickly.

            "Son, the Marauders are a group of pranksters. The group was created by your grandfather, Remus, Sirius, and someone who shall remain nameless." The other six apparitions all nodded with various looks of hate on their faces.  Richard decided not to press it.

            "When they graduated from Hogwarts, they left a little gift behind for their descendants.  The three of us had so much fun with it…well, when we graduated, we decided that we should, shall I say, improve on the gift."  Before Harry could continue speaking, Eddie spoke up.

            "You made yourselves part of it! Right, Uncle Harry?"  Ron rolled his eyes, looking at Hermione.

            "Looks like our son's taking after his mother…" That was as far as he got before Hermione jumped at him. 

            "You will NOT call our son a know-it-all!"  While the two of them wrestled, Harry and the others floated down around Richard and Eddie.

            "Well boys, let's go. Up and at 'em! Wands too!" 

            Under normal circumstances, children raised in the magical world wouldn't have just listened to an apparition telling them what to do. However, both Richard and Eddie could tell that these weren't normal circumstances. They got up and grabbed their wands. 

            "We'll meet you downstairs, ok boys?" The elder Marauders floated down through the floor. Harry waited long enough to break Hermione and Ron up, then the three of them floated down. Richard and Eddie looked at each other.

            "Should we?"

            "Why not? We'd just be listening to our parents. First, though…" Eddie raised his wand and said, "_Silentium_!" Richard nodded and pointed his wand at the beds, saying "_Effingo_!"

            Properly covered by the Obscurity Spell, and with sleeping duplicates of themselves in their beds, the boys walked down to the common room.


	4. A Spur of the Moment Prank

Ok, I fully admit my last chapter sucked. At least the ending did. I was going for a quick little wrap-up cause I didn't have any inspiration for the first prank Richard and Eddie would be playing. Now, however, I have one. And I can only hope it'll leave you laughing.

The Next Generation: Marauders^3 

**Chapter 4: A Spur-Of-The-Moment Prank**

            Richard and Eddie walked down into the Gryffindor common room. All the apparitions were waiting for them (and of course, not seeing them thanks to the Obscurity Spell).  They were understandably confused until a voice out of nowhere said, "_Finite Incantatem_!" The two boys popped into view, much to the delight of all the Marauders present.

            "Bloody brilliant, these two are" Sirius said to no one in particular. Harry and Ron's chests puffed out with pride until he added, "Bet you they have no friends but each othe…" He didn't even get to finish the sentence before Harry, Ron, and Hermione jumped on him. James and Lily watched for a few seconds before turning to the boys.

            "Well, since your parents are…indisposed, shall we say, I think it's up to us to show you the entrance to the Meeting Place" James said. Lily quickly covered for the looks of confusion on the boys' faces.

            "Climb up on the mantle. Next to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor."  The boys obeyed. Standing there by a huge portrait, Richard felt very small indeed. Eddie looked around in his curious manner and spotted something.

            "Hey, what's that?"  He pointed and Richard looked.  Just next to the portrait was something familiar…

            "That's a Marauders crest!"

            "Exactly" James said, as his son was still busy wrestling with Sirius. "To get into the Meeting Place, simply tap it and say '_Moonium_'."  Remus smiled as the boys looked at each other and shrugged. Eddie tapped the Marauder crest and spoke.

            "_Moonium_!" The portrait swung outward. The boys regarded the new passage a little cautiously. The apparitions, however, simply floated inside.

            "Well, if it's safe for them…" Richard said, and walked in. Eddie followed, a step or two behind. Immediately, they were in the small room Harry had discovered years before (and his father years before that).  It was just as Harry had found it, except for the seven statues created by the Marauders.  Eddie noticed them and went over to have a look.

            "It's you! You all have statues here?"

            "That's right, Eddie" Ron said. "We created them in fact. We'll have to tell you another time about the pranks we pulled that warranted their creation, though.  There's something we need to tell you about these archways.  There's a powerful Shield Charm on each one. You can't get through until you recite the Marauders motto: 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Got it?"  Richard and Eddie laughed a little.

            "Got it Dad…where should we go?"  Harry spoke up.

            "I suggest Slytherin House…the Marauders always seem to have such fun there. Of course it probably won't be that great without Malfoy." Richard and Eddie perked up.

            "Draco Malfoy? As in, father of Draco Jr.?"  The younger apparitions were understandably surprised.

            "Wait a minute…Draco got someone to marry him?"

            "And have his child?"

            "Uh" Richard interjected. "Children. Twins, actually."

            "Oh, this I have to see" Ron said. "Let's go to Slytherin House." Richard nodded and stepped up to the archway to Slytherin House, raising his wand.

            "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The snake over the arch hissed, and Richard and Eddie were given their first look at the Slytherin common room.

            "You know, they could really use my old Invisibility Cloak right about now…where is it, Harry?" James asked.  Harry sighed.

            "Unfortunately, it was lost during the war…but I think they'll suffice with the Obscurity Spell. Boys?" he said, turning to Richard and Eddie, who drew their wands and pointed them at each other.

            "_Silencium_!" Properly obscured, the boys stepped into the Slytherin common room.

            "Wow is it always this cold in here?" Eddie asked, shivering.

            "Well it's underground, so…probably" Harry replied. Richard took a look around. Nothing had changed in the common room since the Marauders had last been there. The same high-backed chairs were around the fireplace, and the green lamps hung from the ceiling.  Ron spoke up as Richard was looking around.

            "Ok, let's go see those Malfoy boys!" He was floating off as Eddie spoke up.

            "Dad, the twins are a boy and girl. His daughter's name is Draca."  Everyone stopped dead at this. Hermione was the first to speak up.

            "Draco Jr. and Draca…Ok, Marauder apparition vote. Is that unimaginative, or just incredibly narcissistic and sad?"  There was a moment of silence before all seven of them said at once, "Both."  Richard and Eddie nodded agreement.

            "Twins, huh?" Ron said. "I bet they look exactly alike. Worse, I bet they look like their father."

            "Twitchy little ferret, wasn't he?" Hermione said. The younger apparitions laughed.

            "It's not easy dealing with twins" Ron said. "Fred and George drove my parents crazy cause they could pretend to be each other…" Richard didn't catch the rest of what Ron said, cause an idea was percolating in his brain.

            "Wait!" he cried, interrupting a rather interesting story involving floating rocks and broken windows. "What if we did that?"

            "What, levitated rocks through windows?" Sirius asked.

            "No…make Draco and Draca into each other!" The apparitions looked at each other, silently conferring.

            "Richard" Remus spoke up. "I admit it's a good idea, but Polyjuice Potion takes a while to make…and besides it only works for an hour."

            "And we can't make them pretend to be each other, either. That would require Imperius, which is illegal" Lily spoke up.

            "Too true, Grandma. However, I believe there's a certain spell you're not thinking of. Eddie?" he said, turning to his cousin.  Eddie pondered for about a half a second before his face brightened. 

            "Perfect! Do you want to do it to Draco or Draca?" "Let's go with Draco, I think" Richard replied, heading for the first year boy's dorms.

            "You know, I think the best part of this spell is that it can be done while a person is sleeping…" Richard said quietly to Eddie.  The Marauder apparitions looked at each other in confusion.

            "WHAT SPELL?" they said all at once. Richard smiled.

            "Hold on guys…ah there he is." He walked up to Draco Malfoy Jr.'s bed. He had the blanket pulled up to his chin, sleeping quietly with his silver-blond hair slicked back.

            "Wow, he does look like his father" Harry remarked. "I wonder if he wears the same green and silver silk pajamas?" (**A/N: That's a throwback to my original story. Click here to see it.)  **He shrugged silently.

            "All right son…what's this spell you're planning to use?"  Richard smiled even more.****

"You'll see…Eddie? I think this'll require our combined effort." Eddie nodded and raised his wand, pointing it at Draco. Richard did the same.

            "_Delegomentis_!"  As the mouths of Richard and Eddie's parents and predecessors opened in shock, they concentrated on Draco's sister.  The apparitions conferred behind them.

            "Are…are they switching the twins' brains?" Harry asked in shock. Hermione, Remus, and Lily nodded.

            "Properly, too, I'd say" Hermione said. "Look at the concentration on their faces!"  
  


            "And there!" Remus said, pointing. Everyone looked and saw what seemed to be a ghostly image of a brain floating up from the body and disappearing through the wall. A moment later, an almost brain image came back through the wall and settled into Draco's body.  The boys lowered their wands slowly.

            "I think…I'm speechless," Sirius said.  "First time for everything, huh Padfoot?" James quipped. Sirius was too shocked to even think of hitting him for it.  Ron was the same.

            "Our sons…our ELEVEN year old sons…just performed the Brain-Switching Spell…and CORRECTLY?"  Richard chuckled under his breath and whispered to Eddie.

            "What say we get out of here before our Obscurity Spell wears off?" Eddie nodded. The two of them walked out of the dorm, leaving most of the apparitions behind. Remus snapped out of his stupor long enough to tell them where the Marauder crest was in the Slytherin common room (right in the middle of Salazar Slytherin's forehead on a certain painting) and facilitate their clean escape.

Later that morning… 

            Draco Malfoy Jr. woke up happily. He'd been having the greatest dream about his father destroying his archenemy, Harry Potter. Of course, it had only been a dream…but there was still time, wasn't there? 

            Draco was so into the dream, he didn't notice for a few seconds that he wasn't in his bedroom. When he did notice, he started to panic. When he looked down and noticed that he was wearing girls pajamas, he panicked more. When he suddenly realized that his pants seemed to fit a little differently, his eyes bugged out. And when he pulled the pants he was wearing open to verify it…

            Richard and Eddie were awakened by the loudest scream they'd ever heard. Their roommates John and Henry heard it too.

            "Sounds like a girl…somewhere far off" Henry said.

            "I wonder what's happening to her?" John wondered out loud. Richard and Eddie knew perfectly well what had happened, and they grinned at each other.

            "Nice work, Mr. Weasley" Richard said.

            "And the same to you, Mr. Potter" Eddie said. Almost immediately, they buried their faces in their pillows and started laughing their heads off.

**(A/N: Yeah I know I know…one Malfoy's bad enough, why make it two? Honestly, I'm not sure. It just happened. You all know the drill…read and review!)**


	5. Not Just Pranks Anymore

God...first my laptop crashed and I lost EVERYTHING...then I was kicked offline all summer...if this chapter seems particularly uninspired, don't be surprised.

****

The Next Generation: Marauders^3

Chapter 5: Not Just Pranks Anymore

(Cause it's not...Flying lessons! yay!)

Richard and Eddie joined the rest of the Gryffindor first years on the Quidditch pitch a few days later. **(Yes, the Quidditch pitch.) ** Madam Hooch was waiting to instruct the Gryffindors and Slytherins in their first flying lesson. Richard noticed Draco and Draca standing there already with the rest of the Slytherins. It seemed that every so often, their hands would drift ever so slightly, just to make sure everything was still where it should be. He pointed it out to Eddie, and they laughed.

Madam Hooch's whistle blew. "Hello first years, my name is Madam Hooch, and I will be teaching you how to properly fly on a broomstick. First lesson!" She snapped. She'd been rather nervous and short-tempered since the war. Leading a squadron of wizards on broomsticks and dragon riders to provide air support in key battles will do that to a person.

"Step up to the left side of your broomstick" the students did. "Hold your right hand...that's RIGHT! Hand out over the broomstick" The students did, albeit a little apprehensively.

"And now" Hooch continued, "we find out whether or not flying ability really is hereditary!" She punctuated that with a smile at Richard and Eddie, whose chests puffed out slightly. They were allowed of course, being the sons of Harry "Hawkeye" Potter and Ron "Stonewall" Weasley.

****

(It was at this point that the author (that's me) decided to branch off slightly, and explain where the nicknames came from. I'm sure most of you can guess where this will be going.)

Harry had felt like a fool after the war. What was an Auror (or Dark wizard catcher) supposed to do after he'd vanquished the darkest wizard ever? The answer came to him easily enough, while he was flying his Firebolt and trying to think. He looked down at the broom; able to see his reflection in it thanks to the high gloss he'd put on it. His reflection seemed to be looking at him and saying, "Duh...remember the imposter Moody? _"Play _to your _strengths"_ ." "Play" he thought to himself...

Two months later, both Harry and Ron were members of the Chudley Cannons. Ron had improved steadily since fifth year, and had in fact been one of Madam Hooch's most trusted broom riders during the war. He replaced the Cannons' aging Keeper, and Harry of course became Seeker. Over the next ten years, Harry and Ron became almost superhuman on the Quidditch pitch. Harry never missed the Snitch (at least with the Cannons), and Ron let the Quaffle by him exactly once, when he had the misfortune of sneezing just before he stretched his arms out to catch it. The performance of the newly crowned "Hawkeye" and "Stonewall" enabled the Cannons to win the Quidditch Cup eight times. Not only that, they were perennial starters for the English national team, leading England to the finals six times and winning five of them (Harry made one small mistake one year and caught a Bludger full in the face from the Russian Beater, Sergei Lexanov). 

****

(Okay, back to the story. These kids have to learn to fly sometime.)

Draco and Draca, unsurprisingly, glared at the two, almost as if it was their fault that Draco Sr. wasn't playing professional Quidditch. (He'd paid the Falmouth Falcons well to get on the team, but they dropped him when they saw how awful he was.) Richard and Eddie simply glared back. Madam Hooch didn't notice it at all.

"Now, all together, say "Up!"

"UP!" Five brooms jumped up immediately, into the hands of Richard, Eddie, Draco, Draca, and surprisingly, Henry Longbottom. He seemed as surprised as the rest of them. While the rest of the students worked harder to get their brooms in the air (John Fortis' broom rose into his hand on the third try), Draco, unsurprisingly, gloated.

"Well now" he drawled, sounding exactly like his father, even if no one else knew it, "I knew that'd be easy. It'd have to be if even the sons of Potty and the Weasel could do it on the first try!" He and Draca started laughing.

Richard was seething, but he knew he couldn't do anything in front of a teacher. He was about to start planning retaliation when Eddie put a hand on his arm.

"What is it"?

Eddie didn't respond. He just pointed at Henry, who was looking at the laughing Malfoy twins with an odd expression on his face. Then, ever so slightly, he raised his left hand.

The twins' laughter was cut short. Everyone looked at them, and saw their broomsticks hanging in the air in front of them. Moving entirely on their own, the broomsticks rotated until the bristles were pointing into the air: then, as though responding to a silent command, they started beating themselves against the Malfoys.

The twins were, of course, not laughing anymore. Almost everyone else was, though. Draco and Draca ran back to the castle, the school's broomsticks following and hitting them the whole way. Richard chanced a look at Henry, who was simply watching the twins run, and...muttering under his breath?

At lunch, Richard and Eddie sat on either side of Henry. The Great Hall was abuzz with whispers. The story of the Malfoys and their broom problems had spread fast.

Richard leaned over slightly. "So, Henry, how's...everything?" Eddie rolled his eyes, looking more like his mother than he cared to.

"Honestly, Richie...Henry, you're a Gesturiat, aren't you?" Henry stiffened slightly in his seat. Richard simply looked blankly at both of them.

"A what?"

"A Gesturiat, Richie, is a master of wandless magic. Most wizards can snap their fingers to start a fire, or point at a door to close it, but Gesturiats work on a much more powerful level. You saw Henry earlier...the slightest gesture, and he was controlling two broomsticks!" Henry went a deep red, but didn't say anything.

"How long have you known, Henry?" Eddie asked. Henry took a deep breath.

"I was seven years old, just walking home from a shop with my dad. We passed a Muggle house with a big barking dog in the yard, and my dad remarked that he'd be able to sleep better at night if that dog could shut up for a few seconds. Well, I wasn't even thinking about it at the time...I just waved my hand. Sort of like I was brushing a fly away from my head...that dog hasn't barked since." Richard and Eddie were shocked.

"One little gesture, and the dog hasn't barked for four years?" 

"Nope. My dad saw it happen, and he was overjoyed. It was the first magic I'd ever performed. He went back later and tried to fix what I'd done, but he couldn't...I daresay he only told me that part anyway, and he's just glad that he can sleep again at night." The boys all grinned at that. Henry's grin slipped slightly as he remembered something.

"You're not going to tell on me, are you?"

"Of course not!" Richard piped up. "It's always good to have people with special talents around. Even better if they're kept secret. My dad's a Parselmouth, you know." Eddie's eyes widened, and he suddenly looked like his birthday had come early.

"Richie! Idea! Pardon me, Henry." Eddie leaned over and whispered something in Richard's ear. Richard smiled widely. 

"It's perfect...Henry, I daresay you've never heard of the Marauders!" Henry frowned.

"The who?"

****

(And this is where I leave it for now. I haven't decided what the next prank will be yet. And since my computer crashed, I have to check with the stories I already posted so I don't start creating plot holes. Read and review!)


	6. What Now?

Y'all know the deal...I own nothing. Actually, scratch that. I own quite a bit of the things in this story, considering it deals with the second generation of the Marauders (an idea I came up with) and their children, the third generation (whom I created).

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The Next Generation: Marauders^3

Chapter 6: What Now?

Richard and Eddie spent a good portion of the evening explaining to Henry about the Marauders. He was understandably surprised (and more than a little jealous that his father wasn't a member).

"So this all started with your grandfather and his friends?" he asked Richard, who nodded.

"That's right...who would have thought a Head Boy would cause so much trouble?"

"Two" Eddie remarked. "Your dad was Head Boy too." Richard smiled.

"Well, I guess I'll have to make that one of my goals...wouldn't want to break family tradition, would I?" he said.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" said Eddie. "How about we show him the Meeting Place? And the statues?" Richard brightened.

"Perfect...but we have to wait a little bit first. The common room's way too crowded right now."

Later that night, the newest generation of Marauders (plus one) padded slowly down the stairs from their dormitory to the common room.

"I wish your dad hadn't lost that cloak" Eddie remarked. "Invisibility would definitely come in handy right about now." The three paused in front of the fireplace and pulled off the cloak.

"Ok, Henry, up we go." The boys climbed up onto the mantle, next to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor.

"See that crest right there, Henry?" Richard asked, pointing to the familiar Marauders crest next to the portrait. "Tap the side of the frame with your wand and say "_Moonium_"." 

Henry nodded, tapped, and spoke. "_Moonium_" The portrait swung outward, revealing the same hole Harry had found so many years before...and his father before him.

Richard and Eddie led Henry inside. "This" Eddie said, "is the Meeting Place. It connects the common rooms of all four Houses." Henry looked around in awe.

"This may be the coolest thing I've ever seen...hey, what are those statues?" he asked, pointing to the seven statues in the center of the room. Eddie smiled.

"Ahhh...the statues. They were created in honor of the ultimate pranks pulled by the Marauders. Unfortunately, we have yet to hear about them."

"Yeah" Richard added. "It'd be nice to know what we have to live up to, though. So, Henry," he said, quickly changing the subject, "shall we go back to bed, or would you like to pull a prank tonight?"

"A prank?" Henry said. "I hadn't been thinking about that...do we really have to? My dad would go ballistic if he found out I got in trouble."

Richard and Eddie just stared at him, mouths slightly agape. Eddie was the first to speak.

"Henry, we haven't been Marauders very long...or maybe we have, since we're the sons of Marauders. Kind of like the Stonecutters."

"Eddie," said Richard, "enough with the Muggle TV show references. Henry was brought up completely magic, you know. And I think you're losing your train of thought."

"Ok, ok...ANYWAY. As far as being Marauders goes, there's only one thing you need to know about pranks."

"What's that?" Henry asked.

"THAT'S WHAT MARAUDERS DO!" the boys yelled. Henry winced and hissed, "Shhhhhh!" 

"What? The portrait hole's closed, no one can hear us."

"We could be miles away from Hogwarts, you know...just because this room connects the common rooms doesn't mean it's IN the castle."

"The point is, Marauders pull pranks. If we had a charter or a constitution of any kind, it would be written in the very first article. Our parents did it..."

"Well, not my mom" Richard said. "And our grandparents did it..."

"Mine didn't!" Eddie remarked.

"It's tradition, Henry. A tradition we're proud to carry on, even if we don't have any ideas for pranks right now. And we want you to help us carry on the tradition...with the assistance of your special gift, of course." Henry thought it over for a while.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble?" Richard looked at him oddly...like he'd grown an extra head or something.

"Are you kidding? Of course we're going to get in trouble! That would be article 2 of our charter, if we had one. Our parents were in trouble so many times when they were here, I'm sure they lost count...but they never got worse than detention." Henry went quiet for a few minutes before nodding.

"Well, I'm definitely in...I think we should to go bed though. I've got no ideas for pranks, and tomorrow's a big day." 

"I agree" Eddie chimed in. "We'll all need a good night's sleep for tomorrow." The boys quickly popped through to the Gryffindor common room, sneaking quietly up the stairs to their beds.

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(A/N: Ok. If I'm on Chapter 6 and there's only been one prank pulled (two if you count Henry's little trick against the Malfoy twins), then I am definitely falling behind. I guess I'll have to stretch this installment out, since my next chapter will deal with a couple of classes at least...not to mention two surprises. Reviews please!)


	7. Time for School

Hello everyone, this is J.K. Rowling, coming to you live from an assumed name to continue the story I've created here. And if you believe that, then I don't think you're college-bound.

(God, I'm so mean at 2 in the morning.)

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Marauders^3: The Next Generation

Chapter 7: Time for School

"Got all your books?" Richard asked. Eddie rolled his eyes.

"I think I've had them since I was born, Richie. You know my mom." The two shared a laugh.

Breakfast in the Great Hall of Hogwarts was oddly quiet, considering the screeches of owls delivering mail clashed horribly with a hundred different conversations. Even the rather large number of students that had arrived over the past few years (the result of an end-of-war population boom) didn't do much to raise the overall decibel level. Richard assumed it had something to do with magic. Everything else did, after all.

"So what class have we got first?" Henry asked, having joined the two a few seconds before. Eddie consulted the schedule.

"Let's see...we first year Gryffindors have Transfiguration, then lunch, then Defense Against the Dark Arts. Seems like a light day to me."

"Who knows...maybe they don't want to overtax us yet? Not like they could overtax you, Mr. I've got an IQ of like a million." Eddie gave Richard a withering look.

"Ok then" Henry said, "where's our Transfiguration class?" Richard and Eddie looked at each other, stricken.

"Um, how many times have we visited this school? And we don't know where everything is yet?"

"Richie, don't worry! We can always get help from a _guide_" Eddie said, raising his eyebrows expressively. Richard didn't quite get it.

"Huh?" Eddie rolled his eyes.

"A sort of _ghostly_ guide?" He stared at Richard to make his point.

"Oh! Right!" Richard looked around to make sure no one was looking, and pulled out his wand. Tapping it on the tiny Marauders crest crafted into the seat between himself and Eddie, he spoke. "Beaky, Lionheart."

Harry and Ron appeared, standing in the middle of the table.

"Morning boys!"

"What's up?" Richard and Eddie looked at each other sheepishly.

"Dad...Dads...as much as we hate to admit it, we just can't remember where our Transfiguration class is." Harry and Ron looked at each other in confusion.

"You don't even have to say it, Beaky" Ron said. "The fact that our eleven-year-old sons can perform a perfect Brain-Switching Spell but can't remember how to find a classroom?"  
  
"Exactly what I was thinking, Lionheart. Do you think there's been some Obliviating going on? Maybe they've got some sort of Alzheimer's that affects children..."

Richard and Eddie, long used to their fathers' teasing, didn't bat an eye. 

"So are you going to help us? Or will it be known that the sons of the great and powerful Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are...hopeless failures?" Richard intoned dramatically.

"They'll be expelled from Hogwarts on their first day...Oh, the shame of it!" Eddie cried.

"Whatever will their mothers say? Or think?" Richard added, pretending to wipe away tears. Harry and Ron watched, almost in boredom.

"Are you two quite done? You're making a little bit of a scene since you're apparently talking TO YOURSELVES" Ron said. Richard and Eddie froze in the middle of what looked like a very convincing crying jag.

"Whoops" Eddie said as the boys let go of each other and smiled nervously at the people around them.

"Now" Harry said, smiling, "as for getting to your Transfiguration class...well, if it's where it was when we were first years, it's quite simple. Go out of the Hall and up the staircase on the right. Turn right at the top, and look behind the third tapestry on your left for a dark green door. It opens into the hallway just across from the classroom."

"Thanks, Dad" Richard said. "Care to join us at our first class?" The two apparitions smiled and nodded. Richard smiled in return before peering through the two of them a little worriedly. A rather confused Henry Longbottom, still sitting across from Richard and Eddie, was looking at them like they were insane.

"Er...who are you guys talking to?" he asked. For the second time in about two minutes, Richard and Eddie felt like idiots.

"We'll have to explain on the way, Henry. Class starts soon" Eddie said as he got up.

"Ten minutes isn't soon!" Richard protested. "I bet your mother was just like this when she was a student!" 

"Sometimes worse" Harry and Ron responded in unison. Ron grimaced.

"Remember those homework planners? '_Don't leave it till later, you big second-rater!_'"

_"Do it today or later you'll pay!" _Harry replied. "It's not like we never did our homework. It just took us longer than her."

"Which was no surprise, considering she was usually done five minutes after it was assigned" Ron said.

"Anyway, Eddie...and confused young man who can't see or hear us" Harry said, smiling at both Eddie and Henry, "the door's right where I said it is, and it won't take you ten minutes to get there. Cross my heart and force me to duel with a chimera if I'm wrong."

"Yeah, you can at least finish your breakfast, son." Ron said.

"No, I want to see if this'll work now!" Eddie said, and stood up, running out of the Hall. Richard and Henry followed him.

"Richie?" Henry asked. "Would you please tell me what's going on now?"

"We didn't tell you last night?" Richard said, nearly tripping on his way up the steps. "Along with knowledge of all the secret passages, we can communicate with apparitional images of our parents that only we can see and hear. Of course, if you want to become a Marauder, there's a spell we can use that will enable you to see them too." At the top of the stairs just ahead of them, Eddie turned around.

"And we still really want you to join, Henry. The Marauders could use a good powerful Gesturiat around."

"Are you kidding? I told you I was in last night, remember?" Henry replied.

"Oh yeah, I forgot" Eddie said. Richard smiled and put on a look of fake shock.

"You FORGOT? The great Eddie Weasley forgot something? Someone call the _Daily Prophet_! This is front-page news!" Eddie rolled his eyes. 

"When you're quite finished..." he said, pulling back the third tapestry and finding the dark green door.

"See! Told you!" Harry said as he and Ron floated up. "Didn't take nearly ten minutes, did it?"

"Nope" Richard replied. "Not even if you count the fact that we all left our bookbags in the Great Hall." The three boys headed back down the staircase as Harry and Ron started laughing.

-----------------------------------------------------time jump-----------------------------------------

"Bet you ten Galleons Eddie and I are the top students in the class" Richard said to Henry as they waited for Transfiguration to start.

"Oh yeah?" Henry smirked. "Why do you say that? Cause your aunt's the teacher?"

"No" Eddie chimed in, "my mum teaches Potions, remember?"

****

(A/N: I wanted to put that in later, but I need it to explain what's coming up next. And where's Snape, you ask?)

"Ok, fine, she's the Potions professor. What's your point?"  


"The point, Henry," Richard said, "is that for the past few years, aunt Hermione's been bringing us to Hogwarts during the summer and teaching us on her own, where we can perform magic without the Ministry punishing us. Not to mention all the reading we've been doing in subjects like Herbology and Potions." Henry's eyes got real big and wide.

"That is so unfair..." He didn't get the rest of the sentence out before the professor walked into the classroom. Richard and Eddie knew him as well as they knew their own names. They'd seen him both at Hogwarts every summer, and around their houses during the winter holidays.

"Good morning, first year Gryffindors." The man's voice was slightly hoarse, a mildly unpleasant side effect to the full moon the previous night. "I am your Transfiguration teacher. My name is Professor Remus Lupin, and as you already know, I am Head of Gryffindor House. It was my both my pleasure and sorrow to assume this position twelve years ago, after the tragic passing of Minerva McGonagall in the war." He paused for a second, as he always did with this particular speech.

"Now, some of you may be wondering what Transfiguration is. Well, perhaps I can give you a few examples." So saying, he drew his wand and pointed it at an apple that was on his desk, changing it into a rock. The class gasped appreciatively. With another wave of his wand, the rock disappeared. Yet another, and the rock reappeared, and a glass of what looked like pumpkin juice appeared beside it.

"Can anyone tell me specifically what I just did?" Remus asked. A number of hands went up. Remus selected a dark-haired boy in the back with prominent front teeth.

"Well...first you turned the apple into a rock, then you made it disappear, and then you brought it back with a glass of pumpkin juice. 

"Yes, but what does that mean?" Remus asked. The boy's eyebrows furrowed.

"That you...um...Transfigured it?" 

"Well, technically, yes. What is your name?" The boy fidgeted slightly.

"Ryan, sir. Ryan O'Hara." Remus smiled.

"Ok, Ryan. I'm sure you noticed how I changed the apple, and then the rock, and then even the glass of juice? By altering them physically?" Ryan nodded.

"Well, that's what Transfiguration is! It involves changing an object or person physically. First I Transfigured the apple into a rock. Then I Vanished the rock. Finally, I Unvanished it, and Conjured a glass of pumpkin juice."

"Now" Remus said as he turned to the blackboard and started writing, "it should be noted that none of you would be able to perform magic of that particular level yet. We'll be starting small today. Please copy these notes down..."

After that, it was quiet for a while except for quills scratching on parchment. Henry was in the middle of copying when Richard slid a small piece of parchment over to him. Henry picked it up slowly and read it.

_Bet you ten more Galleons Eddie and I could do all the stuff Professor Lupin just did. Richard + Eddie = #1!_

Henry smiled to himself and scribbled something back, passing it surreptitiously to Richard.

_So? I bet I could do it too. Remember? One little hand wave = mute dog and broomstick attack._

Richard smiled and showed the note to Eddie. "He's got a point, you know" he muttered under his breath.

About a minute later, Remus flicked his wand. A matchstick appeared in front of each student.

"Now...using the notes you've been copying so diligently, I would like each of you to attempt to turn your match into a needle."

"Gee, that sounds familiar" said a voice over Richard's shoulder. Harry and Ron had decided to join the class.

"Wasn't McGonagall more strict than Moony?"

"Yeah. Lucky kids, huh?"

"Oh yeah." The two of them watched as their sons worked at Transfiguring the matches. As predicted, Richard and Eddie had it done within a couple of minutes. Henry spent most of that time trying to work with his wand. When it became apparent that he wouldn't be able to do it right off, he simply put his wand down at pointed at his match. It almost immediately turned silver and thinned down to a sharp point on one end.

"Excellent, Henry!" Richard whispered. Harry and Ron were surprised.

"Is he...a Gesturiat?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, so?" Eddie replied.

"He needs special teaching! Boys, you've got to tell Dumbledore." Harry said.

"No!" Richard and Eddie said, loud enough to attract attention. Remus looked up at them, showing a brief expression of shock that no one could figure out, before he relaxed slightly. 

"Is there a problem, Mr. Potter? Mr. Weasley?" he asked mildly.

"Uh, no, sir" Richard replied. "We've Transfigured our matches, though." Remus smiled.

"Excellent! Shall we say, five points apiece to Gryffindor?" The boys smiled amongst themselves as he added, "Now, if you three could just bring your needles up here, so I can check on your work?" The boys nodded and stood up, walking to the front of the room. Harry and Ron floated behind them.

"We have to go too. Moony can see us, you know" Harry explained. "I'm sure he's wondering if we helped you at all, or why we're even here." Richard, Eddie, and Henry stood in front of Remus' desk, blocking him from the other students' view. As he bent over, seemingly examining the needles, he spoke quietly.

"Hello, Beaky and Lionheart. Come to see your sons' first days at Hogwarts, I take it?" Harry and Ron smiled sheepishly.

"Something like that...and we didn't help them, if that's what you're thinking." Remus smiled.

"No, not at all...if I remember correctly from Professor McGonagall's notes, you two weren't the quickest when it came to beginner's Transfiguration." The boys chuckled quietly as Harry and Ron blushed. Henry kept looking back and forth between the boys and Remus in confusion.

"I really don't like missing the conversation like this!" he hissed. Remus looked to Richard and Eddie in surprise.

"You haven't already made a Gesturiat one of the Marauders? Shame, boys. Prongs and Padfoot would be disappointed." The boys' jaws dropped.

"You know he's a Gesturiat?" Remus smiled.

"Well, his father's had an inkling for a while, and he wrote to Dumbledore and told him so. Dumbledore, of course, told all the teachers...but I didn't believe it for myself until I happened to look up and see you Transfiguring your match without the use of your wand. I'm afraid" he said, with a tone that all three boys knew couldn't be any good, "that your prank training shall have to wait a while, Henry. You need special training for your gift."

"But why?" Eddie asked. "Dad and Uncle Harry already said that!"

"Because," Remus replied, "if Gesturiats aren't properly trained when they're young, their powers can grow out of control. There's an entire wing at St. Mungo's for Gesturiats who didn't know about their gifts until it was too late. They just lay there, Stunned, because even the slightest movement on their part makes things explode." All three of the boys looked shocked.

"Well...what kind of training does he need?" Richard asked. Remus' brow furrowed.

"Let's see...Gesturiat training...as I recall, Henry will need to attend a new class in Wandless Magic. It's designed specifically for Gesturiats...there are lessons in technique, control, magical focus, and so on. It'll be a very small class, I think...there are never more than four or five Gesturiats a year at Hogwarts. You'll have to go and ask the headmaster when it is, exactly."

"And now would seem to be the perfect opportunity!" he remarked as the lunch bell rang. Standing up, he addressed the rest of the class as Harry, Ron, Richard, Edie, and Henry left.

---------------------------------------time jump-------------------------------------

"So how did it go?" Richard asked when Henry returned from his meeting with Dumbledore. He was smiling like his birthday had come early.

"Well, the whole Wandless Magic thing does mean I can't help you guys with pranks for a while...but on the upside, I don't have to take History of Magic! Nice little trade-off, I'd say."

"I would too...I've been wondering why anyone ever has to take it" Eddie said. "Seems pointless to me..."

"Well, anyway, Henry" Richard cut in, "eat up. It'll take about ten minutes to get to the DADA classroom."

-------------------------------another time jump-------------------------------------

"Ok, that took five minutes at the most" Eddie said. "I'm beginning to wonder if the great Mr. Potter here can tell time."

"Shut up" Richard said, smiling. "It's better to be early than late, you know."  


"Yeah, but you're always early. You're never right on time, or just a few minutes early...it's always five at least!"

"So?" Richard asked as the rest of the students started filing in. "I see no problem with being early and prepared." Eddie rolled his eyes.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if you're my cousin or my brother...there are times when you act more like my mother than I do." Richard wasn't able to come up with a decent reply to that before a voice rang out.

"_Locomotor Mortis_!" A young girl who had just walked into the room shrieked as she fell to the floor. Ryan O'Hara spun around and caught her before she hit.

"_Rictusempra_!" Ryan had barely finished putting the girl down before he hit the floor himself, laughing his head off thanks to the Tickling Charm that got him.

Several more curses were shouted. Henry fell to the floor in the Full-Body Bind. Richard and Eddie were Stunned. The entire class was incapacitated in one way or another. The voice called out again, but not to utter a curse.

"I believe this is why Gryffindors are known for bravery, not cleverness." The owner of said voice stepped out of the shadowy area in the corner.

"I'm sure you all realize that none of the curses I just used on you are technically Dark Arts...or at least I hope some of you do..." He smiled slightly, even though it was a horrid effect on his pale face.

"My name is Severus Snape, and I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

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(A/N: As someone who's done plenty to Snape in this series already, I felt it was necessary to give him something he's wanted. And if he gets over the random hexing of his students, he should be a fine professor. The other surprise (Remus as Transfiguration teacher) was a little less planned out. It just kind of came to me. Besides, this is really just some filler until I can think of a good new prank. Please review!)


	8. Defense Against the Dark Artssort of

There will be no disclaimer, because everybody should know by now that I'm not J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything I write about, unless you don't recognize it. In that case, I probably made it up and still won't make any money from it. Poor me.

Well. I certainly never thought I'd be doing anything good for Snape...and now here he is, the DADA professor. I seem to get crazy ideas when it's this late at night. Don't worry, he won't be permanently incapacitating any main characters, no matter how much he might want to.

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Marauders^3: The Next Generation

Chapter 8: Defense Against the Dark Arts...sort of

"Defense Against the Dark Arts" Snape said in his whisper-thin voice, waving his wand. The random spells around the room lifted. Richard and Eddie got up, helping Henry to his feet.

"Hell of a way to start a class off" Eddie muttered.

"Since the first witches and wizards realized their powers" Snape intoned, with no apparent intention of apologizing for what he did, "there have been Dark wizards...ones who wished to use their power only for evil purposes. Upon completion of my class, you should be properly trained in how to recognize and defend yourself against someone using Dark Arts against you. I say 'should be'..." and at this point his glance rested on Henry, Richard, and Eddie momentarily, "because I'm sure this class has the usual collection of idiots in it."

It was right about at this point that Harry and Ron cut in. No longer content with staying quiet and watching Snape teach, they started mocking him. The impersonation was so good that Richard and Eddie couldn't help but snicker. Unfortunately for them, Snape noticed them and decided to give them a little test.

"Potter!" he barked. "How would I defend myself against an attacking grindylow?" Richard, caught slightly off guard, had to think for a second.

"Break its grip, sir!" he said. Snape's eyes narrowed.

"Weasley! If you were in Mongolia, and a Kappa approached you, how would you persuade it not to attack you?"

"Give it a cucumber with my name carved into it, Professor" Eddie replied. "But the Kappa is primarily Japanese, isn't it?" Snape didn't like that.

"The Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia, Weasley...and it might interest you to know that your father didn't know that either. Ten points from Gryffindor for contradicting your teacher." He advanced slowly on Henry.

"Uh oh" Ron said. "I recognize that look. He's going to try and bully Henry just like he used to do to Neville."

"It's Potions all over again" Harry added. "Neville must have melted...what, about ten cauldrons thanks to Snape?"

Snape, who didn't hear any of this, bent down close to Henry and whispered, "Henry Longbottom. I had the dubious displeasure of teaching Potions to your father. I do hope this won't be a "like father, like son" situation. In fact," he added, looking over all three boys at once, "I hope none of you turn out like your fathers."

"My father defeated Voldemort!" Richard said before he could help it. A small collective gasp rose from the class (even now, years after his defeat, Voldemort's name could inspire fear...but not nearly as much) and Snape's eyes narrowed even further.

"Your father, Potter" Snape said, his voice lowering even more than usual, "was and is a bigheaded young man who considers rules to be beneath him. I will not tolerate the same behavior from you. Another ten points from Gryffindor."

"For nothing?!" Richard yelled.

"Ten more, Weasley...and I do hope you'll quiet down now, before your classmates start getting angry with you." Indeed, angry looks were spreading around the classroom.

"BIGHEADED?" Harry yelled. Fortunately, only two people could hear him, and they didn't let on.

"Well, you kind of are, mate" Ron said. He floated away a little bit as he said it.

"I know that, but what business does he have bringing it up?" Harry said. "We have to prank him. Now."

When Richard heard that, he hurriedly scribbled something on a scrap of parchment. Looking over his shoulder, Harry and Ron could read "What shall we do, dad?" Harry thought for all of five seconds before he smiled and whispered in Richard's ear. Richard brightened immediately.

Through all this, Snape had been lecturing, unaware of the joke about to be played on him by two students and their fathers. He didn't notice the whisper shared between Richard and Eddie, or the subsequent whisper passed on to Henry. When he turned and pulled his wand to illustrate something on the blackboard, the boys acted. Pulling their wands at once, they each pointed at Snape's back and whispered, "_Lemonis_!"

Snape was hit with a triple-strength Lemon-Face Spell. It was primarily designed to ridicule an opponent by making him look like he had sucked on an extremely sour lemon. However, at triple strength, the effect was much worse. Snape's eyes narrowed so far that they closed tight. He sucked his lips in so far they were gone. He couldn't see or open his mouth.

The class stayed silent after this for roughly a half-second. Then, as Snape started yelling (although it sounded more like a muffled groan) and stumbling around the room, the laughter began. Every first-year Gryffindor fell to the floor laughing. Ryan O'Hara's wand fell from his hand and hit the leg of his desk, making it vanish and causing the desk to fall over on top of him. No one noticed. Snape ran from the room after two or three tries (failing on his first attempts thanks to his collision with the doorway) and still no one noticed. The entire class was on the floor laughing until the bell rang for the end of class. 

Above the din of laughter floated two apparitions.

"I think our sons will fit in here just fine, Beaky" Ron said.

"I quite agree, Lionheart" Harry replied.

****

(A/N: I only have one thing to say here...maybe two. The Kappa, mentioned above, is described in Fantastic Creatures and Where to Find Them as a Japanese water demon, not Mongolian. I don't know where Snape got his information in PoA. Secondly, things are gonna get serious in the next chapter, when the Gryffindor first years have Potions with Professor Hermione Weasley (nee Granger). We'll see if she's still a bossy know-it-all. Reviews please!)


	9. Potions Without Pranks

Can I just say that "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" ROCKED? My hat's off to Alfonso Cuaron, who took over admirably for Chris Columbus. It's a shame he doesn't want to direct the next one. That being said...yeah I don't own anything.

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The Next Generation: Marauders3

Chapter 9: Potions Without Pranks

The main topic over breakfast the next day was, of course, the prank that had occurred during Defense Against the Dark Arts. It seemed that since Professor Snape's mouth was rather incapacitated, he couldn't lift the spell on his own. And since he was squinting so much that his eyes were essentially shut, he stumbled around blindly until he found someone to repeal the Lemon-Face Spell. Needless to say, the tales of his exploits spread through the school like magical wildfire.

Richard, Eddie, and Henry sat quietly at the Gryffindor table, talking amongst themselves. Floating just above the table, the apparitions of Harry and Ron joined in the conversation.

"Hey guys!"

All five of them turned at once to the Ravenclaw table. Richard and Eddie's cousin, Sarah Weasley (eldest daughter of Fred Weasley and former Beauxbatons student Marie St. Claire) leaned over toward them conspiratorially.

"I heard about that prank that was pulled on Snape during your class...You didn't have anything to do with it, did you?" The three boys exchanged a glance or two. Eddie cleared his throat, looked Sarah straight in the eye, and crossed his fingers behind his back.

"Sarah, we had absolutely nothing to do with it." Sarah's eyes twinkled.

"Yeah, I'm sure you didn't." She got up and joined the three boys at the Gryffindor table. "How did you manage it?" To everyone's surprise, Henry spoke up first.

"You mean you don't know how to do a Lemon-Face Spell? I'd really expect better from a third year student." Everyone looked at him in shock before Sarah burst out laughing.

"Ok, I suppose I deserved that..." The conversation drifted down other paths as breakfast wore on. Every so often, Richard would sneak a peek at Professor Snape. He could have sworn Snape was watching him rather intently.

Just before the end of breakfast, Draco Malfoy Jr. passed by the Gryffindor table.

"Oh look...it's a pair of Weasels!" he said, laughing. Sarah and Eddie turned red and would have beaten him into the ground if Richard, Henry, and John Fortis hadn't been holding them back.

"Well, Potter" Draco continued, drawling just like his father, "I can't wait to see you get detention."  
  
"For what?" Richard replied. "I didn't pull that prank."

"No, of course you didn't" Draco said. "Professor Snape's not stupid, you know. Being hit with a spell right after he disciplines the three of you? However, he can't prove it. So he's decided to get you another way. After the spell was lifted, he gave us first year Slytherins the homework assignment everyone was supposed to get. And guess who didn't hear what it was?"  
  
"The Gryffindors..." John said in horror. The others looked at him in shock. Usually, he didn't say anything at all.

"That's right, Fortis" Draco said. "So guess who gets detention for not handing in their homework?" He smirked.

"Why would you tell us that, Draco?" Eddie asked.

"The simple pleasure of knowing, Weasel Boy, that you'll be sweating for the next two days! Good luck in Defense tomorrow!" Draco walked away, laughing his head off. No one sitting (or floating) at the Gryffindor table could believe what had just happened.

"Can he do that?" John asked, horrified.

"I think he can" Sarah answered. "Teachers are allowed to assign whatever homework they choose. I don't think there's a rule that says it has to be assigned in the classroom...of course the people making the rules probably never assumed someone like Snape would be teaching."  
  
"It's definitely something new" Harry spoke up, although most of the people present didn't hear him. "I'm surprised he never tried that with us."  
  
"Too right, Beaky" Ron replied. "Imagine how much worse we would have done if we didn't know the homework assignments."  
  
"Yeah, but we hardly ever did the assignments anyway..."  
"So what should we do?" Richard asked, cutting off his apparitional father and uncle.

"First things first" Eddie said. "The four of us that have Potions should get going. It's nearly time for class. What have you got, Sarah?"

"Care of Magical Creatures" Sarah replied. "Oh, the joys of caring for flobberworms." She rolled his eyes and laughed as the five of them stood up.

"I heard that Potions used to be in a dungeon" John said as they left the Great Hall. "It's not still there, is it?"

"Nope" Eddie said. "It was when my mum and dad were students here, but my mum moved it to a classroom on the first floor when she got the Potions position." Harry and Ron groaned overhead.

"Lucky kids...not only do they get a warm classroom in the winter, but they don't have to deal with Snape!"

"Yes they do! Just not here!"  
  
"Shut up! You know what I mean!" Harry and Ron fought and floated through things as the four boys made their way to room nine.

Hermione Weasley (nee Granger) looked up and smiled to herself as her son, her nephew, her husband, and her best friend all came through the door. "I wondered how soon they'd find the gift" she thought to herself.

Harry and Ron smiled as well when they saw Hermione.

"That's my girl" said Ron. "Fully qualified Hogwarts professor!"

"Yeah" Harry replied. "It's a shame about her leg, though." Near the end of the war, Hermione had been hit with a rather powerful spell that unfortunately destroyed her right leg below the knee. Luckily, some emergency spellwork and a Muggle artificial leg (since she didn't want to go the "Mad-Eye Moody route") fixed most of the problem. A slight limp was the only indication that anything had happened. Eddie walked up to her desk as soon as he came in.

"Mum, we've got a problem..."

"I'm afraid I can't discuss it right now, Edward" Hermione said. Eddie cringed slightly at the use of his full name. "Just go and sit down, and I'll talk to you after class." Eddie turned and went to sit down amongst a few good-natured snickers of "Edward".

"That 'Edward' remark almost deserves a prank in itself" Harry remarked to Ron.

"We can't" Ron replied. "She'd see it coming. Not to mention the fact that..."

"That I can hear you?" Hermione murmured quietly as she walked past. Harry and Ron jumped. Hermione merely smiled and drew her wand, pointing it at the table in front of the boys.

"_Deprivo Intermittus_" Hermione muttered. A jet of white light covered the wands on the table. Harry and Ron groaned out loud.

"Ouch. Temporary loss of wand use."

"She's too clever for our own good." Hermione smiled again.

"Just in case you boys get any ideas..." She walked back to her desk as the rest of the students filed into the room.

"Good afternoon, students. My name is Professor Weasley, and I am your Potions professor." Harry and Ron's chests swelled with pride as she spoke.

"Today, we will be creating a very simple potion to remove warts. If you purchased a basic potion-making kit before arriving at school, you should already have powdered spine of lionfish." She flicked her wand at the cupboard in the back of the room. "The other ingredients, shredded maidenhair root and carrot juice, are in the cupboard in the back. You'll need equal amounts of each ingredient. However," and at this point she smiled, "I've decided to challenge you just a little bit. I don't expect that each of you have read your textbooks back to front, of course, but consider this. One of the ingredients I've just given you is not right. The student or students who figure out which one it is, and produce a perfect potion, will receive ten points for their house. You have the entire class time to work."

There was immediately a flurry of activity. Not to get the potion ingredients...everyone grabbed their copies of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Harry and Ron floated up to Hermione for a quick conversation.

"Uh, was this what you had in mind, Feathers?"

"Actually" Hermione replied, "it was. I like to get my students reading." Harry and Ron groaned.

"Hermione and her reading...why did you marry her, Lionheart?"

"I know...all this forcing children to read...she ought to be locked up!"

Richard and Eddie didn't hear a word of this. They were too busy perusing through their books.

"Where is it...where...aha!" Eddie cried quietly. Richard and Henry looked over. John kept poring through his book.

"You found it already?" Henry said, mystified.

"Think about it, Henry! The textbook for this class deals with magical _herbs_ and _fungi_. Spine of lionfish and carrot juice wouldn't be in here, but maidenhair _root _would! And it's obviously the wrong ingredient because maidenhair root in any form causes infertility!"

"Well, he's obviously his mother's son" Ron said as he floated back towards the boys.

"Thanks, Dad" Eddie muttered.

"So" Richard said. "Now that we've got that figured out...what's the ingredient we need?"

"This one" John said, placing a container of powder on the table. "Powdered ginger roots." The other three (five if you count the apparitions) looked at him in shock.

"How....?" Henry asked, wide-eyed. John smiled.

"The index." He flipped to the back of the book and pointed to Warts. "Oddly enough, there's a list of things there that help with wart removal."

All four of the boys smiled and reached for the spine of lionfish in their potion kits. After a few minutes (and a trip to the cupboard for carrot juice), the potions were finished. There were four cauldrons with identical light orange mixtures in them.

"Finished already?" Hermione said as she stood up and walked over to them. "Exceptional work, boys...now we'll see if you passed my challenge." She drew her wand and spoke. "_Inflammicus_!"

The four boys immediately sprouted warts. Big ugly warts.

"Mum!" Eddie said, shocked.

"Oh, you know, just in case my brilliant son and his brilliant cousin decided to spike their potions with something..." Hermione said.

"Wow" Harry said. "I'm surprised we didn't think of that."  
  
"I'm not" Ron replied. Hermione smiled quietly.

"Ok, boys, it's time to see if your potions are effective." Richard was the first to go. He took his ladle and drank a small amount of his potion. After a couple of seconds, his warts disappeared.

Hermione smiled as the other boys followed suit. "That would seem to be forty points to Gryffindor, boys. Congratulations. I'll just go and see how your classmates are doing." A loud explosion from the other side of the room made everyone jump. Hermione winced.

"You know, I think they might not be doing too well..." She walked away. Richard quickly bottled a sample of his potion and tucked it into his robes.

"Never know when we might need it" he said in response to Eddie's questioning look. "Now, how should we spend the rest of the class?"

"I don't know...reading?" Eddie said. Richard rolled his eyes.

"How'd I know you'd say that...Henry? What do you think?" Henry seemed a little surprised to be asked.

"I think, since we're already behind on homework, we should find out what the assignment is for this class and get it done quick!"

"Hmmmm, good point" Richard said. "Dad?" he whispered. "Can you tell aunt Hermione about our little problem?"

"Can do." Harry floated over to Hermione. After a minute or two, she spoke up.

"Class, your homework tonight is to read chapters one through five and summarize them for me. Those of you that are finished with your potion may get started on that."

"See? I told you we should read!" Eddie gloated.

"Ok, fine!" The boys got to work, reading and writing notes. A few minutes later, Harry floated back over.

"Boys, you should always respect Feathers."  
  
"What are you talking about, Dad?" Richard asked.

"She reminded me that, as Marauders-in-training, you should be able to sneak into Snape's room tonight and find his lesson plan." Richard and Eddie stopped dead.

"You're right. We can go through the Meeting Place..."  
  
"Into the Slytherin common room..."

"And from there" Ron cut in, "we can show you how to get into Snape's bedroom!" Richard sighed.

"It's going to be a while until we're on our parents' level, I think."

"I think you're right, Richie" Eddie said.

"Uh, excuse me" John spoke up from the end of the table, "but what are you talking about? The Meeting Place? Slytherin common room?" Richard, Eddie, and Henry looked at each other and smiled.

"You know...I think we found our fourth Marauder." John looked even more confused.

"Your fourth what?"

****

(A/N: Ok. The rest of the school day will be mentioned in passing in the next chapter. Suffice it to say History of Magic and Charms will be involved. There may be time for a prank while the Marauders are in Snape's bedroom...oh who am I kidding? Of course there'll be a prank! Read and review please!)


	10. Marauders to the Rescue! oh yeah, and a ...

I know I don't usually update this quickly, but I want to get this down before I forget the idea I have. It's been known to happen.

So in the last chapter, we find out that the first year Gryffindors are all going to get detention because they don't know what their homework assignment is. Well, the Marauders-in-training are on the case! (I'm not saying "on the job" cause that's British slang for something entirely different) Which is why this chapter is titled:

****

The Next Generation: Marauders3

Chapter 10: Marauders to the Rescue!

(Oh yeah, and a prank too)

"Guys" Richard said, "we have to tell everyone!"

It was early evening in the Gryffindor common room. Richard and Eddie were in what they had decided upon as their "usual" spot, and Henry and John joined them there, along with the apparitions of Harry, Ron, and now Hermione. The fact that the real Hermione couldn't join them had been a little joke among the group earlier.

"After all" Ron had said, "you'd be talking to yourself, Feathers. And people who talk to themselves usually end up in the loony bin." Ron hadn't had much to say after that, due to some quick spellwork by Hermione that left his mouth stuffed full of peanut butter.

****

(A/N: It should be noted here that the apparitions in my trilogy can perform spells on each other. However, they can't perform spells on any real people or things, and vice versa.)

"Why do we have to tell everyone?" John asked.

"Well, when I say everyone, I mean the other first years. If we're the only ones that hand in homework assignments, Snape will know we're up to something. And so will the others."  
  
Eddie added, "Unfortunately, it gets a little tricky after that. We have to tell our classmates that Snape assigned homework, and then tell them that we can find out what it is without them knowing how we do it."

"I've been working on it" Richard said. "What we need to do is go right now. All of us will go to the Slytherin common room. Dad, I need you to go first though, and see if anyone's there. Uncle Ron, aunt Hermione, do some reconnaissance around the castle and find Professor Snape. We need to know where he is."

"Can do." The three of them floated off in separate directions. Richard turned back to his friends, smiling slightly at the look of confusion on John and Henry's faces.

"I think you two are going to have to be let in on our little secret quickly. Looking confused that often can't be good for you." He looked around quickly. "Not that I'm not glad the common room is empty, but where is everyone?"

"No idea, but who cares?" Eddie replied. "Let's go! Up on the mantle, and all that!" Eddie, Richard, and Henry clambered up onto the fireplace. After a small pause, John joined them.

"Ok, John." Eddie said. "This story starts a while ago, with Richie's grandparents and their friends."

"Which includes me" a voice said from the other side of the room. The boys nearly fell off the fireplace in shock as Remus Lupin walked into the common room.

"Your mother confided in me that you'd be on a little mission tonight...I assume you're doing it this early in the hopes that Snape won't be in his room?"

"Actually, Professor" Henry said, "we're doing it now so we can come back and tell our classmates the assignment too. It'd be suspicious if we were the only ones that knew it." Remus smiled.

"Very true, Henry...are there any apparitions helping you?"

"My mum and dad" Eddie said. "And Uncle Harry. They're checking the common room and looking for Snape now."

Just then, Harry burst through the wall.

"The Slytherin common room is definitely not empty. There are more than a few students there. Even if you use my old Invisibility Cloak..."  
  
Remus coughed just then. Harry flushed slightly.

"Right...my father's Invisibility Cloak. If you use it...well for one it won't cover all four of you. Secondly, getting into Snape's room involves part of the fireplace opening up, and they'll definitely notice that."

"Now what do we do?" Eddie said.

"I believe" Remus said, "that you'll find some help from your predecessors near the entrance to the common room."

"Exactly" said Harry. "We Marauders have hidden stores of joke items all over the castle. And fortunately, a few of them are in Gryffindor Tower."

"Joke items, huh?" said Eddie. "Maybe we can clear out the common room with some Dungbombs and Stink Pellets."

"And under the Invisibility Cloak, we can sneak in and get through to Snape's room!" Richard said excitedly.

"And perhaps after that" John added, "you can finish your story so I know what's going on!" Richard and Eddie shared a glance.

"We don't have time, John. Professor Lupin can tell you the whole story. He's been involved with the Marauders since the beginning. And only three of us can fit under the Invisibility Cloak anyway. Perhaps you should stay here." John looked at them suspiciously.

"How come Henry can't stay?"

"I already know the story" Henry said. "And I have certain...talents...that may be useful during this little mission." John turned slightly red.

"Ok. Fine. Go." He jumped down off the fireplace. Richard sighed and turned to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor, pointing his wand at the tiny Marauder crest next to it.

"_Moonium_" he whispered. The portrait swung open. John goggled at the sight as the other three walked through to the Meeting Place. Remus simply smiled.

"John, I hope you don't hold too much of a grudge against them. We really can accomplish more this way. While they find your homework assignment for tomorrow, I can explain everything to you. I think you'll find it to be quite an interesting story."

"I doubt it" John muttered.

"Well, we'll see. Where to start, where to start...for starters, John, do you know the history of the Whomping Willow?"

...........................

"I didn't want to leave him there" Richard said, "but the cloak will only cover the three of us. And even then, we'll have to be careful...it's getting old, and I think it's wearing thin in places."

Eddie and Henry nodded in agreement. The three of them were standing in the Meeting Place, just in front of the secret entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Henry, as one of the new members of the Marauders, I believe you should be the one to give the password to drop the Shield Charm. After all, you'll need to learn all the passwords and secret passages the Marauders know." Henry and Richard looked at Eddie as he said that, smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths.

"He's definitely his mother's son" Henry remarked. "I think there's going to be another teacher in the family." Richard chuckled. Then his eyes got really wide.

"Eddie, you have to go back. We forgot the Dungbombs!" Harry laughed from overhead.

"Hmmm, the brilliant kids aren't quite on their game today, are they?"

"Shut it, Dad. We'll wait here, Eddie. Go!" Eddie nodded and ran back to Gryffindor Tower. Remus looked up as he popped through into the common room. He didn't seem at all surprised to see Eddie.

"The portrait hole, Eddie. Bottom row of bricks. Start at the left corner and count six bricks to the right with your wand lit." He turned back to John as Eddie ran to the portrait hole. "Now, as I was saying, it was right about then that Harry and his friends decided to become Animagi..."

Eddie didn't hear the rest, as he was busy following Remus' instructions. The sixth brick to the right popped open, revealing a Marauders hidden stash. Eddie smiled and filled the pockets of his robes with Dungbombs.

"Thanks, Professor!" he called as he climbed back up onto the fireplace.

"Don't thank me" Remus said. "Officially, I don't even know you're doing this, remember? And I'm certainly not helping." He smiled and turned back to John as Eddie opened the passage to the Meeting Place.

Richard smiled when he saw Eddie coming. "Ok, Henry" he said. "The password is the 'official' Marauder motto: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Henry smiled. "Clever motto." He turned to the archway. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The snake hissed, and the sort of invisible curtain fell. The Marauders in training could see clearly into the Slytherin common room.

"Henry, quick!" Eddie hissed as he grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and flung it over them. "Levitate the Dungbombs before they see us!"

Henry got the idea. He lifted his hands, concentrating, and the Dungbombs rose up out of Eddie's pockets, flying into the common room in various directions. There were multiple explosions, and almost immediately the worst stench imaginable. Students shrieked and ran for their dorms.

The Marauders waited for a couple seconds. Richard quickly cast a few Bubble-Head Charms so they'd have fresh air to breathe. Slowly, the three of them walked into the Slytherin common room.

"Doesn't anything ever change? This place looks the same as it's always been." Harry said.

"Dad, we need you to wait outside the common room. Let us know if anyone's coming before we get into Snape's room."

"Can I help?" asked a familiar voice. Richard and Eddie turned to see Sirius Black floating nearby.

"Sirius!" Harry said happily. "As a matter of fact, you can help. Keep a watch on the girls and boys' dorms for us?"

"Can do." Sirius floated away as Harry guided the kids to the fireplace.

"Tap the lamp on the left. The password is 'Padfoot'."

"That's me!" Sirius called out. Harry smiled.

"Good luck, Marauders." He winked and floated away to the entrance of the common room. Richard and Eddie smiled to themselves.

"Padfoot" Richard whispered as he tapped the lamp. The secret passage into Snape's room opened. The boys smiled and walked in just before it closed. Once inside, they pulled off the cloak and repealed the charm.

"I'm glad that's over" Henry remarked. "It's kind of odd looking at the world through a fishbowl."

Just then, Ron came popping through the wall.

"Ah, there you are! I suggest you hurry...Snape's on his way here! He just left the Great Hall. I'd say at best, you've got ten minutes or so. Just walk through the wall and you'll be in Snape's bedroom. Go!" The boys nodded and walked through the wall, dragging Henry with them.

"How do we find Snape's lesson plan?" Henry wondered. "It could easily look as dark and depressing as the rest of this place."  
  
"Too right" Richard replied. "There is far too much black in here. And all these potion ingredients...which we probably shouldn't move at all." Eddie didn't say a word. He just pulled his wand.

"_Accio lesson plan_!" A small black (obviously) ledger rose up from the table and flew into Eddie's outstretched hand. Richard smiled.

"I wonder...do you think it's sealed so that only Snape can open it?"

"I doubt it" Eddie replied. "After all, he keeps it here in his room, that only the Head of House can enter. Well, here's hoping." Holding the book away from himself slightly, he opened it. Nothing happened.

"Lucky much?" Henry said. "Quick, find September 2."

Eddie did. The boys read it in shock.

"He actually PLANNED to hex all the Gryffindors?" Eddie said.

"Not only that, we're going to be hexed again! Our homework is to learn all the curses that were used against us!" Richard said. Henry gulped.

"We have to learn multiple hexes in ONE NIGHT?"

Ron floated through the wall.

"Well then...it must be a serious problem if a Gesturiat is worrying about it. Henry, you won't have a problem. It's everyone else that has cause to sweat. Snape's about a hundred yards from the common room entrance."

"Snape's about a hundred yards from the common room entrance!" Harry yelled as he burst through the wall. And saw Ron. "Oh, right...I guess you know that. You kids need to go now."

Eddie quickly put the ledger back on Snape's desk.

"Count up seven stones from the third stone to the right of this bookcase, and tap it" Harry said. "Then walk through the wall."

Richard did as his dad said, and once again pulled Henry through the wall. The three of them (five if you count apparitions) walked through the passage, almost to the fireplace, when Sirius burst through.

"No good going this way. The smell's cleared up, and students are back in the common room!" The boys looked stricken. The adults didn't look much better.

"We need another distraction!" Eddie said. "And we're out of Dungbombs!"

"So?" Richard said. "Are we wizards or not?"

"Well, technically, not..." Henry said. "I mean, we are just first years."

"Yeah" Eddie said. "Three _brilliant_ first years. And you're a Gesturiat! Diversion...brilliant....Gesturiat..." He paced back and forth for a couple of seconds. Harry poked his head through the wall.

"Snape's here!" he said, drawing his head back. "That man's timing is absolutely horrible."

"I've got it!" Eddie exclaimed. "Henry, can you get all of them at once? Like a giant Sleep Charm?"

"Do you think that would work?" Henry asked.

"Well, this passage has a curve in it, so we could hide if we back up. Henry could go out there under the cloak and perform the spell, and we could get out of here!"

"We don't really have the time to debate it" Sirius spoke up. "Let's do it."

Henry nodded and threw the cloak over his head. Richard and Eddie backed up and hid around the corner. Henry took a deep breath and walked out of the passage. Needless to say, the Slytherin students were rather surprised to see their fireplace opening up. Professor Snape, who had just entered the common room, was equally confused. He took several long strides to the fireplace, but it closed up just before he got there. That didn't stop him from running his hands over it, examining it very closely, for the few seconds until Henry's Sleep Charm took effect. He dropped to the ground, along with the rest of the Slytherins. Henry quickly pulled him away from the fire, drawing his wand with the same motion and reopening the passage.

Richard and Eddie popped out, immediately relieved.

"It worked. Thank God. Let's get out of here." The boys walked quickly to the portrait of Salazar Slytherin on the wall. Henry pointed his wand at the crest that appeared on Slytherins' forehead.

"_Wormtalia_." The portrait split in half and opened. The boys ran through to the Meeting Place, and on to the Gryffindor common room. John was asking questions of Remus when they got there.

"So, do I have to become an Animagi to be a Marauder?"

"No, but it helps." Remus smiled. "You can worry about it later, though. You're about to get a homework assignment." He walked off to get the rest of the first years. Richard and Eddie explained the assignment to John. Within a few minutes, all the first year Gryffindors were assembled in the common room.

"What's this about?" demanded a pretty blonde named Cadia.

"Yeah how come it's just us first years?" a black girl named Jullisa spoke up from the back.

"I'm sure you all remember our first Defense class" Richard said. There was immediate laughter.

"Calm down, calm down...well, what you don't know is that Snape assigned us homework that's due tomorrow. However, since he didn't know who pranked him, he simply decided to punish all the Gryffindors. We'll all have detention tomorrow if our homework isn't done." The laughter went to immediate horror.

"What are we going to do?" Jullisa shrieked.

"Our homework, obviously" Eddie said. "Don't ask how, but we found out what it is." There was a small amount of uproar over this until Henry spoke up.

"Do you want to ask questions, or do you want to avoid detention?" Everyone shut up.

"Ok" Richard said. "You of course remember how Snape hexed each of us as we came in the room? Well, for homework, we have to learn how to perform those spells."

"Oh, that's not going to be hard" Cadia remarked.

"It shouldn't be" Eddie said, favoring her with a glare, "if we work hard at it, starting right now. Wands out!"

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"I can't believe we were up until 1 in the morning" Eddie groaned.

"I know" Richard replied. "The things we do to avoid detention."

John could barely lift his head from the desk. "It was worth it, wasn't it? I mean, we'll avoid detention this way."

No one had time to answer as Snape walked into the room.

"Now then" he said, his whispery voice easily holding the class' attention. "We'll see if any of you have learned anything yet." He smiled grimly at the Gryffindors. The first year Slytherins were snickering quietly.

"Potter!" Snape barked. "Front of the class, please." Richard stood up and walked to the front of the class.

"I would like you, Potter, to perform the Full-Body Bind on Malfoy." Draco Jr. smirked and stood up, stepping around his desk and standing in front of Richard.

"Anytime you're ready" Snape said, not bothering to keep the amusement out of his voice as Richard drew his wand and pointed it at Draco.

"Have fun in detention, Potty" Draco muttered. Richard smirked.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" To Draco's shock (and obviously Snape's too), Draco fell to the floor, frozen solid. Richard smiled nervously and walked back to his seat.

"Lift it" Snape said. Richard didn't quite hear him.

"I'm sorry?"

"Lift the spell. If you can." Richard shrugged and lifted the Full-Body Bind. Draco got up slowly and returned to his seat, a little shaken.

Snape was nearly beside himself with anger. He was sure that Potter and Weasley had somehow discovered his lesson plan. And as such, he couldn't give them detention...unless. If they were the only ones who knew the homework...

"O'Hara!" Ryan O'Hara jumped up so quick, he nearly banged his knees on the underside of his desk. He walked up to the front of the room a little unsteadily.

"If you'd be so kind as to perform the Leg-Locker Curse on Miss Malfoy?" Draca got up and walked to the front of the room, slightly shaken. She'd been sure Richard wouldn't be able to do anything to Draco.

Ryan drew his wand and spoke. "_Locomotor Mortis_!" Draca shrieked as she lost her balance and fell. Snape stared, goggle-eyed.

"Martinez!" Jullisa got up and walked to the front of the room.

"Tickling Charm!" Jullisa did just that, sending Cassiopeia Knight to the floor in gales of girlish laughter.

"Robertson! Stunning Spell!" Cadia got up and knocked Julius Jones to the floor.

Over and over, Snape tested the Gryffindors. They performed every spell perfectly. Snape was about ready to explode when the bell rang.

"Potter!" he snarled as the students started to leave. "A word, please." Richard smiled to himself and walked up to Snape's desk. Snape leaned towards him menacingly.

"I don't know how you managed to get ahold of your homework assignment, Potter, but I assure you next time it won't be as easy." Richard looked confused.

"I'm not sure what you mean, sir...speaking of homework, do we have any tonight?" Snape's eyes narrowed.

"No. Get out of here." Richard turned and left, meeting up with Edward, Henry, and John just outside the door as it closed.

"Are we set?"

"You know it" Eddie replied. "Everyone's gone. Let's do this." Quickly, the boys pulled their wands and booby-trapped the doorframe.

"I almost don't want to see Snape once he gets to the Great Hall" Henry said.

"We have to be there" John said. "You know, to be the picture of innocence and all." The boys laughed and made their way to lunch.

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"How did they do it?" Snape muttered to himself, pacing the floor of the classroom. "I'll have to keep a closer eye on my lesson plan..." He was still muttering to himself as he exited the classroom.

Going up the stairs to the Great Hall, he passed a couple of second year Ravenclaw students that goggled at him. He stopped for a second and looked at them with much the same expression, before they walked off whispering.

"Odd" he thought as he kept walking. The situation was repeated with every student he came across. He was getting looks of shock, disbelief...nothing like the horror he was used to instilling in the hearts of his students.

"Is it possible...that I've been pranked again?" Quickly, he looked himself over. Nothing seemed to be amiss. He quickly drew his wand and cast a few self-analyzing spells. Nothing. Shrugging, he continued up two floors to the Great Hall.

When Snape first opened the door to the Hall, no one paid much attention. That kind of thing happened all the time. It started when a few random heads turned towards the door. They were followed by whispers and pokes, and more heads. And even more heads. Snape couldn't understand what the hell was going on. Everyone was looking at him funny. Even certain apparitions of former students.

"You did it, son" Harry said, staring wide-eyed at Snape. "I don't know exactly what it was, but you sure did it."

Snape, of course, walked up to his place at the head table, completely conscious of all the eyes on him. He picked up his fork and knife and started to eat. There was complete silence in the Great Hall except for his eating.

It continued like that for a while. Snape ate, looking around at everyone who was staring at him. No one made a sound. Finally, Professor Dumbledore leaned over to him.

"Severus...why are you...naked?"

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(A/N: I'm going to have nightmares because of what I just wrote, I think. This was such a long chapter...don't expect any updates for a while. I need to get some notes down and decide what I'm going to do next. Read and review please!)


	11. A Slap Upside the Head

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The Next Generation: Marauders3

Chapter 11: A Slap Upside the Head

It was late one night at Hogwarts. Richard Potter was sitting up in bed, fuming silently.

"That's it" he said quietly to himself. Quickly, he slipped out of bed, grabbing his Invisibility Cloak from the nightstand drawer. Throwing it over himself, he walked slowly down into the Gryffindor common room, climbing up onto the mantel and pulling out his wand.

"_Moonium_" he whispered as he tapped the Marauder crest located just next to Godric Gryffindor's portrait. With a slight creak, the portrait swung aside, admitting Richard into the Meeting Place.

A dark figure was seated at the table, not seeming to do anything in particular. He didn't look up as Richard approached. In fact, he was just sitting there, reading a book. Richard looked him over. Black t-shirt, pajama pants...nothing too special. Richard cleared his throat loudly. I jumped up in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. Richard's eyes narrowed.

"I want to know, my dear author, why YOU haven't updated recently! That hex you pulled on Snape through us was brilliant, but what are we going to do now? You planning to continue the story at any point?"

I sighed. "Hey, there have been extenuating circumstances. New job, new car...new girlfriend...not that you need to know about that. You're only 11. And yes, I will be updating eventually." Richard pulled his wand.

"No, I think you'll be updating now, actually. Get to work." I stared at him in shock.

"I'm sorry...are you serious? I'm not going to sit here and be threatened by a figment of my imagination!"

Richard waved his wand. I whipped my own out and yelled, "_Petrificus Totalus_!" Richard went stiff as a board and fell to the ground. I stood up and walked over to him as he looked up in surprise.

"Now. I will update when I'm good and ready. And unless you'd like to be eaten by a manticore in the next chapter, let's not meet again, ok?" I snapped my fingers. Richard flew like a flash out of the Meeting Place, landing with a crash in the middle of the common room floor. I chuckled as I returned to my book.

"Kids just don't respect their elders these days" I said to myself. "I quite agree" an anonymous voice spoke from the shadows.

I stood up in shock, grabbing my wand. "Who is that?"

Professor Dumbledore stepped out of the shadows. "It was I, Scott...and I must insist that you no longer...'hang out' here, as I believe it's known. This school is meant for students, not writers." I sighed.

"If you insist, Professor. I assume you also want me to update?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"Actually, I would. I'm rather interested in seeing what happens to Professor Snape, myself."

I smiled. "I'll get right on it, sir." With that, I vanished in a flash of light. Dumbledore smiled as he turned towards the secret door in the Meeting Place that not even the Marauders knew about.

"Americans" he sighed to himself as he disappeared through the door.

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(A/N: I needed to snap myself out of this drought...and I always wanted to talk to Dumbledore. A new chapter shall be forthcoming, since I have two days off from work. Read and review, if the spirit moves you!)


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